Cleaning device for cleaning hook-and-loop fasteners

Abstract

A cleaning device ( 10; 110; 210 ), in particular for cleaning hook-and-loop fasteners, includes a plurality of projections ( 16; 116; 216 ) which project inclined from a surface ( 13; 113; 213 ) of the cleaning device, such that between the projections and the surface ( 13; 113; 213 ) there is formed a mouth ( 17 ) respectively, the cross-section of which is tapering in an xz-plane from a mouth opening (B, D) in a sharp angled manner towards a vertex (C) wherein the mouth opening (B, D) includes an angle (α) in the xz-plane of 10 to 40° with the vertex (C) as center of the angle (α).

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) for cleaning hook-and-loop fasteners, comprising a plurality of projections ( 16 ;  116 ;  216 ), wherein
 the plurality of projections project inclined from a surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device, such that between the projections and the surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) there is formed a mouth ( 17 ) respectively, the cross-section of which is tapering in an xz-plane from a mouth opening (B, D) in a sharp angled manner towards a vertex (C) wherein the mouth opening (B, D) includes an angle (α) in the xz-plane of 10 to 40° with the vertex (C) as center of the angle (α).   
     
     
         12 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) is a curved surface having an outwardly curved cross-section in an xz-plane. 
     
     
         13 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein the curved surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) has a constant curvature, wherein a maximal dimension of the curved surface in a z-direction which is in the xz-plane, is between 1 and 10% of the maximum dimension of the curved surface in an x-direction, which is in the xz-plane and perpendicular to the z-direction. 
     
     
         14 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the projections ( 16 ;  116 ;  216 ) are tapered towards their mouth openings (B, D) when looking towards the surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device in a z-direction which is perpendicular to the x- and y-direction. 
     
     
         15 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein a surface of the projections ( 16 ;  116 ;  216 ), which faces away from the surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device has a curved shape. 
     
     
         16 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  210 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the projections ( 16 ;  216 ) are formed monolithically with the surface ( 13 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device. 
     
     
         17 . Cleaning device ( 10 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein between the mouths ( 17 ) and the surface ( 13 ) of the cleaning device there is provided a wedge ( 18 ) respectively, which wedge ( 18 ) is monolithically formed with the respective projection ( 16 ) and has a wedge-shaped cross-section in an xz-plane. 
     
     
         18 . Cleaning device ( 110 ) according to  claim 11 , further comprising
 a plurality of slots ( 121 ) being opened towards the surface ( 113 ) of the cleaning device, and   a plurality of projection inserts ( 120 ) which are adapted to be inserted into the slots ( 121 ), wherein a portion of each projection insert ( 120 ) forms one of the projections ( 116 ).   
     
     
         19 . Cleaning device ( 110 ) according to  claim 18 , wherein the projection inserts ( 120 ) have a plate-like shape comprising a cuboid base portion ( 122 ) and a hook-shaped upper portion ( 123 ), wherein the hook-shaped upper portion ( 123 ) forms the projection ( 116 ) by projecting partially out from the slot ( 121 ) beyond the surface ( 113 ) of the cleaning device. 
     
     
         20 . Cleaning device ( 210 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the surface ( 213 ) of the cleaning device is an outer surface of a material layer ( 224 ), wherein the projection is formed by a triangular portion of the material layer ( 224 ), in which two sides ( 225 ,  226 ) of the triangular shape are punched and one side ( 227 ) is used as a bending line for bending the triangular shape away from the surface ( 213 ) of the cleaning device. 
     
     
         21 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein the projections ( 16 ;  116 ;  216 ) are tapered towards their mouth openings (B, D) when looking towards the surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device in a z-direction which is perpendicular to the x- and y-direction. 
     
     
         22 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein a surface of the projections ( 16 ;  116 ;  216 ), which faces away from the surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device has a curved shape. 
     
     
         23 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  210 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein the projections ( 16 ;  216 ) are formed monolithically with the surface ( 13 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device. 
     
     
         24 . Cleaning device ( 10 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein between the mouths ( 17 ) and the surface ( 13 ) of the cleaning device there is provided a wedge ( 18 ) respectively, which wedge ( 18 ) is monolithically formed with the respective projection ( 16 ) and has a wedge-shaped cross-section in an xz-plane. 
     
     
         25 . Cleaning device ( 110 ) according to  claim 12 , further comprising
 a plurality of slots ( 121 ) being opened towards the surface ( 113 ) of the cleaning device, and   a plurality of projection inserts ( 120 ) which are adapted to be inserted into the slots ( 121 ), wherein a portion of each projection insert ( 120 ) forms one of the projections ( 116 ).   
     
     
         26 . Cleaning device ( 210 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein the surface ( 213 ) of the cleaning device is an outer surface of a material layer ( 224 ), wherein the projection is formed by a triangular portion of the material layer ( 224 ), in which two sides ( 225 ,  226 ) of the triangular shape are punched and one side ( 227 ) is used as a bending line for bending the triangular shape away from the surface ( 213 ) of the cleaning device. 
     
     
         27 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) according to  claim 13 , wherein the projections ( 16 ;  116 ;  216 ) are tapered towards their mouth openings (B, D) when looking towards the surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device in a z-direction which is perpendicular to the x- and y-direction. 
     
     
         28 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  110 ;  210 ) according to  claim 13 , wherein a surface of the projections ( 16 ;  116 ;  216 ), which faces away from the surface ( 13 ;  113 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device has a curved shape. 
     
     
         29 . Cleaning device ( 10 ;  210 ) according to  claim 13 , wherein the projections ( 16 ;  216 ) are formed monolithically with the surface ( 13 ;  213 ) of the cleaning device. 
     
     
         30 . Cleaning device ( 10 ) according to  claim 13 , wherein between the mouths ( 17 ) and the surface ( 13 ) of the cleaning device there is provided a wedge ( 18 ) respectively, which wedge ( 18 ) is monolithically formed with the respective projection ( 16 ) and has a wedge-shaped cross-section in an xz-plane.